Vivo's X500 Pro Max Launches, but Ultra Keeps Camera Crown

Vivo has released the X500 Pro Max, the company's first phone to occupy a new tier between its standard Pro flagship and its camera-focused Ultra model, according to a review published by The Verge on Nov. 2, 2026. The device carries a $2,000 price tag and ships with the same telephoto lens found in the X300 Ultra, but drops the wider ultrawide and 35mm main camera that made its predecessor stand out, the review found.

What is the Vivo X500 Pro Max?

The X500 Pro Max is Vivo's answer to a pattern already underway at rival Chinese Android makers. The Verge's review notes that Xiaomi, Oppo, and Honor have each rolled out their own "Pro Max" models in recent cycles, positioning them to close the gap between standard Pro-tier flagships and the camera-centric Ultra lines those brands also sell. Vivo's version follows that same formula: a phone built to carry most of the Ultra's camera hardware at a lower price point, without matching it feature for feature.

How does its camera compare to the X300 Ultra?

The comparison is the center of the review. The Verge's Dominic Preston, who called the X300 Ultra's camera system the best in any phone this spring, writes that the X500 Pro Max "has an impressive camera system with world-leading dynamic range and the same great telephoto lens found in the Ultra. But it's lost a little something of what made its predecessor quite so special," according to the review.

Specifically, the X500 Pro Max's main camera no longer uses the narrow 35mm focal length that distinguished the X300 Ultra, and its ultrawide camera is identified in the review as "a weak link" rather than the standout ultrawide Preston says remains the most capable in any phone worldwide. The telephoto camera, by contrast, carries over directly from the Ultra and is listed among the phone's strengths.

What are the phone's other specs?

Beyond the camera system, the review lists a main sensor capable of 17 stops of dynamic range, a 7,800mAh battery, and a 1440p display running at a 144Hz refresh rate. Those figures place the X500 Pro Max's battery capacity and display specs in line with what buyers have come to expect from high-end Chinese flagships, while the dynamic-range figure on the main camera is singled out in the review as a genuine strength of the device.

Why did Vivo create a Pro Max tier?

The review frames the Pro Max category as both a product strategy and a marketing move. By sitting between the Pro and Ultra lines, the X500 Pro Max lets Vivo offer most of the Ultra's camera capability — minus the ultrawide and main-sensor focal length that made the Ultra distinct — at what the review treats as a step below full flagship pricing. The Verge's framing is blunt about the tier's dual purpose: it closes a genuine capability gap between Pro and Ultra models, but it also gives phone makers, in the review's words, "an excuse to slap 'Max' on the box." Vivo has not issued its own public statement explaining the tier's creation in the material reviewed here, and the analysis rests on The Verge's assessment of the lineup rather than a company statement.

Is the X500 Pro Max worth the $2,000 price?

The review lists the phone's strengths as its telephoto camera, 17 stops of dynamic range on the main sensor, the 7,800mAh battery, and the 1440p 144Hz display. It lists the weaker ultrawide camera, the loss of the X300 Ultra's 35mm main camera, and the price itself among the drawbacks. Vivo lists the device at $2,000 directly through its own site, per the review's pricing citation.

The net assessment in the review is that the X500 Pro Max is a strong phone on its own terms but not a replacement for the X300 Ultra in the areas that made the Ultra noteworthy. For buyers specifically drawn to Vivo's camera reputation, the review's conclusion is that the Ultra remains the model to seek out, with the Pro Max serving a different, lower-tier role in the lineup rather than superseding it.

Timeline

• Spring 2026: The Verge names the Vivo X300 Ultra's camera system the best in any phone, citing its 35mm main camera and ultrawide lens.
• Nov. 2, 2026: Vivo's X500 Pro Max is reviewed by The Verge as the brand's first entry in a new Pro Max tier, priced at $2,000.
• Ongoing: Xiaomi, Oppo, and Honor continue offering their own Pro Max-style models alongside separate Ultra flagships, per the review's industry framing.